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Northwood Space is a modern space infrastructure company building a global network of phased array ground stations for satellite communications. The company designs, builds, and deploys scalable systems for national security, global connectivity, and disaster response missions.
You will own the end-to-end effort to establish and scale Northwood's in-house machining capability for high-performance hardware used in satellite communications ground stations. This role combines hands-on CNC machining and CAM programming with strategic manufacturing capability build-out.
Key responsibilities include:
- Develop and execute the roadmap to establish and scale the internal machine shop, from capability definition through machine selection, procurement, and commissioning.
- Source, evaluate, and purchase CNC machines (mills, lathes, multi-axis equipment) and supporting equipment including workholding, tooling, metrology, and material handling systems, balancing floor space, budget, throughput, and scalability.
- Coordinate machine delivery, rigging, utilities, installation, acceptance testing, and ongoing maintenance strategy.
- Design the machine shop layout, workflows, and safety/operational standards including material flow, tool control, inspection flow, and coolant management.
- Design and validate machining fixtures and workholding for repeatability, speed, and part quality.
- Create, own, and maintain CAM programs and machining documentation including setups, tool lists, inspection plans, and standardized work.
- Operate machines as needed to unblock development and production, and to prove out new processes and programs.
- Train operators and establish work instructions, troubleshooting guides, and escalation paths.
- Drive continuous improvement in yield, cycle time, scrap reduction, and process capability through root-cause investigations and corrective actions.
- Partner with design engineering on design for manufacturability, tolerancing strategy, inspection strategy, and make/buy decisions.
Required qualifications: 4–6+ years in manufacturing engineering, CNC programming, CNC machining, or related roles. Demonstrated experience with fixture/workholding design and bringing repeatable machining processes into production. Strong CAM programming experience (Fusion, Mastercam, NX CAM, or equivalent) with practical understanding of feeds/speeds, tooling, and setup strategy. Comfortable in hands-on environments proving out programs, debugging issues, and iterating quickly. Strong communication and vendor/stakeholder coordination skills.
Preferred: Experience selecting and commissioning CNC equipment with acceptance criteria and ramp plans. CAD proficiency for fixturing and tooling design (Siemens NX or similar). GD&T, tolerance stack-ups, and inspection/metrology planning experience (CMM, probing). Experience developing standardized work and training programs.
Role requires 5 days per week on-site and willingness to work extended hours and weekends as needed. Must be a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident due to ITAR compliance requirements.
